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What to look out for in the Champions League quarter-finals

Harry Kane will face familiar opponents while Carlo Ancelotti and Diego Simeone are eyeing landmark outings in the first legs.

Carlo Ancelotti, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane and Diego Simeone
Carlo Ancelotti, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane and Diego Simeone

Haven't we met before? The last-eight draw pitched together clubs, players and coaches with plenty of shared history, and all the remaining teams can provide evidence to back up their optimism of reaching the semi-finals.

Here are some key talking points ahead of the first legs of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Fixtures and results

This week's fixtures

9 April

Arsenal vs Bayern
Real Madrid vs Manchester City

10 April

Atlético de Madrid vs Dortmund
Paris vs Barcelona

All kick-offs 21:00 CET

Kane aiming to torment Arsenal again

There was a sense of inevitability when Arsenal and Bayern were drawn together in the last eight. It is a pairing that means Harry Kane – a thorn in the Gunners' side for more than a decade while at their north London rivals Tottenham – will make the familiar trip again, aiming to keep up his impressive scoring record against Arsenal.

The 30-year-old struck a remarkable 14 goals in 17 Premier League games in those derbies, making him the all-time top scorer in the fixture ahead of the likes of Thierry Henry and Emmanuel Adebayor, while both Spurs and Arsenal had six victories apiece in those contests. Kane's goalscoring powers are arguably even greater now than at any time in his Tottenham career, the striker reaching a career-high 31 league goals in Bayern's win at Darmstadt on 16 March. The Gunners will certainly know what to expect.

Player of the Match: Harry Kane's double

Ancelotti set for double century

Carlo Ancelotti will make history when Real Madrid take on Manchester City in their opener, becoming the first coach to reach 200 matches at the helm in the competition. The 64-year-old became the first coach to win the European Cup for a fourth time in 2022 then, when Madrid faced City in last season's semi-final second leg, overtook Sir Alex Ferguson for overall matches as coach.

However, that milestone was the only thing Ancelotti and his men will want to remember about that last meeting, given Pep Guardiola's side overwhelmed them 4-0 on the way to a maiden triumph. The Merengues have fared better against City in the Spanish capital though, winning three of the five meetings there dating back to the 2012/13 campaign, including their miracle turnaround in the 2022 semi-finals. Taking a lead to Manchester will be crucial given City are unbeaten in their last 29 Champions League matches in their own stadium (W27 D2).

Man City vs Real Madrid previous meetings

Simeone on verge of exclusive club

Diego Simeone made it to 100 Champions League games as coach of Atlético in the first instalment of their round of 16 tie and he will be hoping the first leg of their quarter-final with Dortmund provides him with another landmark to add to his growing collection. The 53-year-old sits on 49 victories in the competition – only eight coaches have ever reached 50 – thanks to Atleti's 2-1 success, and subsequent penalty shoot-out triumph, against Inter. Another here could go some way towards sending them to a first semi-final in Europe's premier club competition since 2017.

Dortmund cannot be taken lightly though, despite them riding their luck at times when dispatching PSV in the last round. The German outfit are now unbeaten in their last seven Champions League matches (W4 D3), five of those coming in a group widely regarded as the toughest to call this season. Given BVB have lost only two of their last 20 games in their own stadium (W11) in this competition, the first leg at Estadio Metropolitano could be pivotal to Atlético's ambitions.

Highlights: Atlético de Madrid 2-1 Inter (3-2 pens)

Drama guaranteed when Paris face Barcelona

You can sure of raised eyebrows or stand-out storylines when Paris and Barcelona get together in the Champions League. This will be their fourth tie in the knockout stages since 2012/13 and the Catalan club hold the edge overall, having won the first three of those. The most dramatic was undoubtedly in 2017 though, when the Spanish side overturned a 4-0 first-leg defeat to complete La Remontada.

The last tie had a very different outcome, however, thanks mainly to Kylian Mbappé. The French striker became the first visiting player to score a hat-trick in the Camp Nou in this competition since Andriy Shevchenko for Dynamo Kyiv in 1997 as Paris stormed to a stunning 4-1 success, and Mbappé would also find the net in the return to banish La Remontada to the history books. Will he write another chapter this time around?

Flashback: Classic 2017 Paris vs Barcelona clash

Further ahead

  • Barcelona and Dortmund will host the returns of their ties on Tuesday 16 April, while Man City and Bayern are the home sides in their second legs a day later
  • The semi-final draw has already been made with the match schedule to be communicated on Thursday 18 April.

Where is the Champions League final being played?

UEFA via Getty Images

The 2023/24 Champions League final will take place at Wembley Stadium in London on 1 June 2024.